Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Morning Call Presents Fair Account of LaBarre Prosecution

Not that long ago, I published a blog about The Morning Call's refusal to sit down and meet with Bill Villa. He has long maintained that both the newspaper and DA Jim Martin have huddled to hush up the facts concerning Robert LaBarre, whose drunk driving resulted in Sheena Villa's tragic death. Sheena was Bill's daughter. Robert happens to be the son of a prominent local attorney, and his firm occasionally represents the newspaper.

Here's how Villa puts it.

"Unless he is stopped, DA Jim Martin will continue to fix DUI homicide cases for pals.

"He must be stopped.

"Ditto any institution that is enabling him."

Since The Morning Call is one of those institutions, at least in Villa's eyes, it must be stopped, too. "The Morning Call has been protecting DA Jim Martin for many years." Blogger Chris Casey quickly agreed. "There is a reluctance on the part of management at the Morning Call to investigate anything that might shine poorly on the office of District attorney Jim Martin. . . . [T]hey don't wish to endanger their working relationship."

As for me, I never bought into the conspiracy theory. I was certainly willing to listen, but nothing I heard was all that persuasive.

Today, I went into The Morning Call archives to see exactly how that newspaper brushed this story under the rug. Instead of finding evidence of a conspiracy, I found eight detailed news accounts*, thoroughly covering all of Villa's contentions. Four of these stories were "buried" on the front page as the lead story.

Morning Call Presents Sensitive and Sympathetic Portrayal of Young Dancer

I mentioned and quoted from one of these accounts yesterday. It was a sensitive portrayal of a vibrant young lady whose life was needlessly cut short. But it did not stop there. On June 26, 2006, in a page A-1 story, Sheena Villa was described in glowing terms again.

"Her father described her as 'a charismatic little starlet' and an idol to many of her young students at Miss Tanya's Expression of Dance school in Lower Nazareth Township, where she taught ballet and choreographed routines for dance competitions for six years.

"Steps in Time, a ballet school in Allentown that Villa attended as a child, and Miss Tanya's plan to award scholarships in her honor."

When Villa decided to put on a musical tribute to his daughter, The Morning Call obliged with a story (7/27/06, p. E-18).

"The two-hour show, which Villa estimates could raise between $10,000 and $15,000, also will be a tribute to Villa's daughter, Sheena Marie, a popular dance instructor who died in a car crash last March while out celebrating her 25th birthday. Daddy Licks' 'I Got Wheels' EP mentions her name on the record sleeve -- she was 6 months old at the time it was released.

"'She always loved the fact that Daddy Licks' EP was dedicated to her, and that she was named after a Ramones song,' says Villa. 'That made her a very cool chick.'"

The Morning Call ran yet another story (3/18/07, p. B-3) to promote "Dancers With a Cause," a ten-hour dance-athon for the Sheena Villa Scholarship Fund.

Finally, in its front page story about LaBarre's guilty plea (2/3/07), The Morning Call makes it very clear that Sheena Villa had pleaded with LaBarre to slow down.

The Morning Call Scrutinizes All Prosecutorial Decisions

In addition to showing more sympathy for Sheena, the paper covered every prosecutorial decision that DA Jim Martin made.

1. Why did it take ten weeks to file charges?"At a news conference, Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin said it's not unusual to work on a homicide-by-vehicle case for more than two months. Witnesses were interviewed, the accident was reconstructed, and the autopsy report was just completed two weeks ago while Martin was on vacation, he said."6/2/06, page A-1.

2. Why did the DA fail to charge third degree murder? According to a front page story on 2/3/07, Judge Steinberg himself told Villa those charges are rare. "Steinberg said the charge is rare in traffic fatalities and cited two state cases, the most recent more than 12 years old.

"To show third-degree murder, prosecutors must prove the driver acted maliciously. Under the definition of homicide by vehicle while driving drunk, the driver does not intentionally set out to kill a person.

"While some counties have charged third-degree murder in traffic cases, it hasn't happened in Lehigh County in at least 30 years, District Attorney James Martin said. He said the appropriate charges were filed in the LaBarre case."

3. Did the DA try to hide evidence that Sheena was pregnant? In a front page story on 4/28/07, it is clear that it was thoroughly discussed and disclosed. "District Attorney James Martin said charges against LaBarre were initially delayed because prosecutors had to review the state's Crimes Against the Unborn Child Act. Citing case law, he said an additional count of homicide by vehicle while driving drunk could not have been charged for the fetus, which he said pathologists determined was at most 3 weeks old.

"[Ass't DA] Director said he prepared a legal memo and asked the judge to consider the fact Sheena was pregnant in sentencing."

All in all, it is very apparent that The Morning Call was unusually sympathetic to what happened to Sheena Villa. It also covered the tough questions that need to be asked in prosecutions of this sort.

Bill Villa's Downward Spiral

The news accounts tell another story, too. They reveal that Bill Villa, distraught father, became increasingly obsessed with the case as time went on. On June 2, 2006, the paper reports that "Villa slowly became consumed with the investigation. 'I was compelled to do it and a bit obsessed. The first two weeks after Sheena died, I was in a fog. After that two-week period, I started getting obsessed with seeing Sheena get justice.'

"He questioned prosecutors, Allentown police officers and detectives, and almost anyone who would listen or offer information about the accident."

That obsession intensified. When LaBarre's preliminary hearing was waived, Villa had convinced himself that LaBarre should spend 17 years behind bars. "We'd like to see none of that time plea-bargained away. We want to see him do every second of it."

By the time LaBarre entered his guilty plea, Villa's life was in ruins. "He said he's lost clients from the advertising business he runs out of his home, he feels as though he's aged 10 years and sees a therapist to cope with his grief. 'I feel new aches and pains every day, he said. My joints hurt, my head hurts.'"

After LaBarre entered his plea and was escorted away by deputies, Villa mockingly wished him a Happy Birthday. LaBarre had just turned 28.

At LaBarre's sentencing, Villa had finally crossed the line, deluding himself into thinking that "LaBarre received preferential treatment because his father is an attorney." He continued to question the way the case was handled. Eventually, Judge Steinberg had to stop him.

Unfortunately for Villa's mental health, his obsession has continued. His enemies' list has grown.

I'm on it now.

His troll-like behavior is a product of that obsession. What is even more disturbing is that an exasperated Villa is now engaging in threatening behavior, hurting himself.

I have all the sympathy I can have for his loss. That's why I spoke out for him and even helped him meet with a district attorney. But I won't drink his kool-aid, and I have no sympathy for the way he has threatened other people or for bloggers like Chris Casey, who use him.

Matthew 18: 21-22Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

Yes, it appears that I do. The real story is reflected in the news accounts above. They are completely inconsistent with versions that you told me and that I had no reason to doubt when I thought you were an honest person.

Point: The DA tried to hide evidence that Sheena was pregnant. This statement, which you made to me, is completely false. Not only did the DA disclose that fact, but featured it in a pre-sentence memo that went to the court. What you told me, and I believed you, was that Steinberg only learned this fact because it was contained in a probation report. You either lied or are so obsessed that you can only remember things a certain way.

Point: Third degree murder charges were brushed under the rug. Your contentions concerning third degree murder were covered in news accounts. In fact, it was actually Judge Steinberg who told you how rare that charge is in a vehicular case. You misled me into believing that neither the newspaper nor Martin was willing to discuss this.

Point: The Morning Call was very insensitive. That's another bogus claim, and the news accounts display tremendous sensitivity to your loss. Your daughter was portrayed in a very positive light. In fact, during the time between arrest and sentencing, the MC ran two stories about benefits in honor of your daughter. It did not have to do that, and there is good reason NOT to do that because a defense lawyer could argue that the paper is trying to create an unfair environment. As recently as February, there was a blog at the MC about your daughter. The paper has displayed unusual insensitivity in this case. This is completely contrary to what you and your wife told me.

Now let's look at some of your other claims.

The MC won't meet with me.

I have blogged twice that I thought the paper owed you a meeting, but not bc I believe a conspiracy exists. It owes you a meeting to help you find some sort of closure. In fact, I'd argue that DA Martin should meet you as well. I did help you meet, at least on the phone, with another DA to discuss generalities.

But you have to recognize that you reap what you sow. When you engage in completely disrespectful and bullying behavior with Lehigh County's top law enforcement officer, as you have, you should consider yourself very lucky that you yourself are not behind bars. You have engaged in threatening behavior with the DA as well as the MC. The MC has had to have you escorted off the property.

What you seem to think is that you are the only person in the world w/ feelings. You think you can insult others with impunity and then meet them as though nothing has happened. You are learning, at a very late age, that you have burned bridges.

Why has Bernie O'Hare flip-flopped?

I never flip-flopped. But you were pushing me in directions that I was unwilling to go.

Bernie O'Hare quashes dissent

This is completely laughable. Unlike you and your new found friend, Chris Casey, I do not enable comment moderation on my blog. I am very tolerant of different opinions. In fact, I seek them out.

But I will not tolerate a person who completely hijacks a blog thread, as you have done to me and others. On a post about Sam Bennett and POM, you insisted in posting ridiculous comment after ridiculous comment. It got so nutty that I had to shut down the blog thread. Or so I thought until Najarian posted a comment. It turned out that I had shut down the ability to link to the blog instead of additional comments.

When you completely destroy a blog thread about another topic, you are the person who is actually quashing healthy debate. When you make personal attacks against me on your Stepford wife's blog but enable comment moderation, you are the person who actually quashes healthy debate.

I know all about Senator McCarthy. he is the kind of person who would say you're with him or against him, as you have done. He is the exact kind of person who would bully others, as you have done.

Even now, you are bullying a college student who only asks you - repeatedly - to leave him alone. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Bernie O'Hare falsely accuses me of posting anonymously.

I have plenty of emails, and by now you know I have them, in which you brag to me about your anonymous comments. God, on your own wife's blog, at least half of the most recent anonymous comments are posted by you. Do you think we're that stupid? You've admitted that practice to me many times. So let's drop the bullshit.

Bernie won't answer my questions.

See above. I don't make small talk, and it is small talk, with trolls like you who burn bridges. I think you have some questions that you need to answer. Why do you lie so much? Why do you make so many anonymous comments? Why do you use so many pseudonyms? Why won't you apologize to the people you've offended with your behavior? That list is very long. Why have you been threatening people?

"So what does one do with a guy like this? And that's a rhetorical question."

No it's not. It's yet another veiled threat. By now, you should realize, I don't respond well to threatening behavior. I'm funny that way. So are many others.

That's the chief way in which you marginalize yourself. This endears you to some other very sick people, but they are a very small, and similarly marginalized, segment of the blogosphere.

But you've alienated yourself from anyone who might actually want to help you.

Bill Villa, please get help to deal with all that you're going through.

Given your approach, the Morning Call is not going to meet with you, and Jim Martin is not going to meet with you. I wish you good luck with the Disciplinary Board, but don't hold your breath as I've not heard many good things about the group.

You're getting tuned out, and that's not doing justice to the memory of your daughter. I'm a father who has a daughter, and I can't imagine the pain you and your wife have gone through. I hope you get answers to your questions, but what you're doing isn't working.

I've been following the banter here with some amusement, shaking my head. Let's get a few things straight. I don't post anonymously. It might be right for some people who are in certain positions where it would be suicide to disclose their identity. In my case, it would be deceptive.

Yesterday, the anonymous comments started at 3:43 PM. They continued throughout the afternoon and evening.

I note they include comments posted at 4:08 and 4:36 PM.

Interestingly, at that time, I was covering a meeting of Northampton County's Finance Committee. That meeting started at 4 PM and lasted until 5:30 PM. I even wrote a post about that interesting meeting.

So even if I had the inclination to post anonymously, which I don't, it would have been physically impossible for me to do so.

As with many other things, Villa is making connections that simply aren't there. At least he had someone to talk with, and someone who apparently wishes him well.

I can no longer say I wish him well, so that should clue him in. But I agree that Villa needs help. His increasingly threatening behavior is cause for concern. His constant comments here and at other blogs is further evidence that he has simply lost control.

I have no Blackberry or Palm Pilot or any such handheld device. Morevover, when I attend a meeting, I pay attention to what is going on there. It was physically impossible for me to have posted at least two of those comments. But you keep looking for those black helicopters.

Again King Bill, I'm not Dave, and I'm not Bernie, and I'm not AJ, and I'm not anyone else you might suspect. But it can't be a mistake, since the King can make no mistakes. It's my fault, I humbly accept the blame for your error.

You make me laugh King! Sorry, not Bernie either. It's a shame that the King has such a blind spot that he thinks all goes back to Bernie. Of course, that's Bernie's fault too since we already decided that the King can make no errors.

Bernie's gonna show up here any second (back from coaching wayward youth to a football state championship and college scholarships for all) and swear that none of the above anonymous snarks were by him, watch ...

King, the use of the word "pusillanimous" is a sterling example of your superior intellect. I'll bet that most readers needed to look the word up (I did). But the King's vocabulary is superior to all others, another example of his supremacy!

I feel terribly for you and your family on your loss. No parent should ever have to go through that hell.

Why I'm getting on you though is to try to break through and get you to realize that what you're doing to get justice is not working. You are alienating people who could otherwise help by keeping you and your cause in eveyrone's thoughts. You obviouly don't give a crap what anyone thinks of you (that's your right). But at least recognize that you're not making any progress (unless the Disciplinary Board comes through, which is a very long-shot at best).

There is something called "The Cowboy Code" that includes the following - When you find yourself in a hole, the 1st thing is to stop diggin'.

Bill, you're in a hole, stop digging.

And please don't read this as an attack on you. If you take a few minutes and read it, it's an attempt to get you to see something that I feel could help. If I didn't give a shit then I wouldn't have bothered to write this, I'd just continue w/ the "King" stuff. People can disagree w/ your approach and not be the enemy.

Bill, you continue to see ghosts - I'm not Bernie or anyone else you've cited.

Also, I'm not anti-Villa.

If you'd go back and re-read what I said, it was not to let anyone get away with anything. At no point did I say to not stand up for yourself or the memory of your daughter. At no point did I say that you should let anyone go.

What I said was that I believe the path you're taking to do it is not working and you need to consider doing it another way. How is that anti-Villa? It's not, it's bringing something I see that may be hurting your cause to your attention. If I wanted to see you screwed, I'd say nothing and let you continue to be viewed as a raving lunatic. If at the end of the day you see things differently and want to continue as you are, that's your right and I wish you well.

But I didn't want to stand by and see you make a train wreck out of this and not accomplish anything when another path may work better and accomplish your goals more quickly.

So you could have said thanks, appreciate the fact that all I was doing was trying to help you see something. But no, King Villa is all knowing, everyone is against him, and he'll conquer all. Good luck on that. And good luck if you think your case at the Disciplinary Board is a sure thing - haven't spent too much time in politics, have you?

Interesting that you are now chastising the Morning Call for playing favorites to incumbents, but in this post you trash Chris casey for pointing out the exact same thing concerning te D.A. Whatever suits your position on that day, I guess. What a two faced piece of work you are.